One of the characteristics of leadership is the willingness to take a stand. This became more clear a while back when a client had to address the behaviors of a person in their work-group.
The person was/is likable, talented, persuasive, and charismatic. And was also insubordinate.
It would have been easy to dodge the issue due to the capabilities of the individual. However, doing so would have bred an attitude of independence in the entirety of the workgroup. Like cancer, the unchecked attitude would have only spread.
The leader could have, in essence, ceded their authority by failing to address the independent attitude, in favor of “honoring” the talent and skills demonstrated by the person in question.
Instead, the leader took action. With an appropriate mix of fiber and kindness, the leader addressed the individual’s attitude and set out appropriate parameters. And thereby, the leader honored the workgroup in its entirety, rather than simply favoring the attitude of one individual.
The leader took a stand. And the result was – and is – tangible.
As a result, the workgroup now functions with greater harmony and without the independence of any one individual usurping the focus of the group in a direction askew from the company’s core mission.
Sometimes there is simply no other way. And so the leader must take a stand.